There exists a need for an effective method to rapidly stop a spinning saw blade in response to input from a sensing device that detects possible contact of the blade with a user's hand. Currently, various methods of stopping a saw blade under such conditions are available. For example, some methods employ a brake which makes contact with the blade and causes the blade to drop below the table surface if the user's hand has made contact with the saw blade. Additional methods utilize a three-in-one system including a splitter, anti-kickback fingers and a blade cover.
All of the presently available systems and methods have one or more disadvantages in terms of convenience of use, early and effective detection of a user's hand and cost. For instance, the system which employs a brake mechanism destroys the saw blade when used. Further, such system requires contact be made between the user and the blade prior to activation of the braking mechanism.
Therefore, it would be desirable to design a system and a method for stopping a rapidly spinning table saw blade overcoming the aforementioned limitations of inflexibility and required user/saw blade contact thereby resulting in an efficient, flexible, early to detect stopping system.